The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission to revoke all the provisional authority to operate issued to Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SIPCOR).

DOE said there was no politics involved in the termination of SIPCOR’s operation as supplier of power in the Province of Siquijor.

SIPCOR, owned by the company of businessman Manny Villar, supplies power to Siquijor island. 

“Malinaw po ang utos ng Pangulo hindi katanggap-tanggap ang dinudulot ng kawalan sa ekonomiya at pinsala sa kabuhayan ng kapabayaang ito,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a press conference on Friday, August 29, 2025. 

PBBM VISITS SIPCOR POWER PLANT IN JUNE 2025

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. gave the Provincial Government of Siquijor six months to solve the power crisis in the island.

On June 11, 2025, the President visited one of the power plants of SIPCOR in Barangay Candanay Sur in Siquijor town.

The visit came six days after Siquijor Capitol declared a state of calamity because of the crisis.

At the power plant, Marcos checked the Engine Diesel Unit, Control Room, and transmission line, among others.

With him were officers of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), Department of Energy, Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO), and officials of the local government.

Engr. Jonas Tampos, SIPCOR Plant head, said it was after the May 2025 midterm elections that the province started experiencing four-hour outages. This worsened by May 23, 2025 when outages would reach up to eight hours.

This affected households and businesses, and was felt especially by those employed in jobs online.

CAUSE

It was found that four of the six generators at the SIPCOR plant in Barangay Candanay Sur bogged down. This happened while another generator in its plant in Tignao (tig-na-wô) in Lazi town is under maintenance.

Tampos said maintenance work for each generator can reach up to 10 days.

NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda said initial assessment showed the outages were caused by a maintenance issue.

NEA, PROSIELCO, and SIPCOR worked together to address the problem.

RESPONSE

As an initial response, Marcos said that one generator that can supply two megawatts of power will be shipped to Siquijor from Palawan.

“We have given ourselves a deadline of six months for the short term solution. By six months from now, we will then impose whatever arrangement we have to do so that six months from now, we don’t have to resort to emergency gensets… now, we have to think even the development of transmission lines,” the President said.

According to the PROSIELCO general manager, SIPCOR can supply an average of 7.3 megawatts of power. The demand for electricity in the province can reach a peak of nine (9) megawatts.

Marcos challenged SIPCOR to come up with permanent solutions, level up its facilities, and look at areas where it can upgrade its systems.

As this developed, the PROSIELCO has submitted requirements to NEA so it can be given a Certificate of Conformity that would allow it to conduct bidding for additional power supplier for the province.

(via Sandra Aguinaldo/GMA Integrated News with reports from Fe Marie Dumaboc/GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak)